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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Worker’s error cited in blast

Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – A natural gas explosion that injured 18 people and damaged 42 buildings in Springfield’s entertainment district was blamed Sunday on a utility worker who accidentally punctured a high-pressure pipeline while looking for a leak.

State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said the Friday night blast was caused by “human error.” He didn’t name the Columbia Gas Co. worker who pierced the pipe while responding to reports of a leak.

The worker damaged the underground pipe while using a metal tool to locate the source of the leak, Coan said. A flood of gas then built up in a building that housed a strip club, and some kind of spark touched off the blast, officials said.

Coan said the employee was following older markings on a sidewalk that indicated the location of the gas line. He appeared to be an appropriate distance from the line, but the markings were incorrect and the worker accidentally punctured the pipe.

Preliminary reports show the blast damaged 42 buildings housing 115 residential units. Three buildings were immediately condemned, and 24 others require additional inspections to determine whether they are safe. The building that housed the Scores Gentleman’s Club was destroyed.

After the pipe was ruptured, authorities evacuated several buildings. Most of the people injured were part of a group of gas workers, firefighters and police officers who ducked for cover behind a utility truck just before the blast. The truck was demolished.